Is Billy Martin #721 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #721 sells for $177 against $1.60 raw: a $176 spread, 111× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.60
- PSA 10
- $177
- PSA 9
- $40.00
- Gem premium
- 111×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $177 | +$151 | +$126 | +$25.76 |
| PSA 9 | $40.00 | +$13.40 | −$11.60 | −$112 |
| PSA 8 | $29.50 | +$2.90 | −$22.10 | −$122 |
Net = sale price − $1.60 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $74.34 | +$22.74 |
| 50% | $109 | +$57.08 |
| 75% | $143 | +$91.42 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $231 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $177 | −$53.64 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $106 | −$125 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $106 | −$125 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $177 | $106 | $231 | $106 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $72.13 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $29.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $18.45 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Billy Martin #721 — FAQ
Is Billy Martin #721 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #721 sells for $177 against $1.60 raw: a $176 spread, 111× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Billy Martin #721 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #721 (Baseball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $177 versus $1.60 for a raw near-mint copy — a 111× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Billy Martin #721?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $231, ahead of PSA 10 at $177. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Billy Martin #721 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Billy Martin #721 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Billy Martin #721 breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.00).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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